Bacterial and viral infection of the digestive tract in newborn and adult animals, resulting in the onset of infective diarrhea, is a significant cause of animal fatality, animal health risk and cross infection to the human population. There is a significant economic impact on the agricultural sector from reduced natural production and disease and health control costs. Traditional methods of dealing with these infections include the use of antibiotic preparations and remedial electrolyte compounds that are administered as injectable or oral drenching solutions. Such methods can be expensive and can be difficult to administer, particularly for animals grazed in remote pastures. In addition, there is a move away, in some sectors of the agricultural community, from antibiotic use to more natural, non-invasive, treatment methods.
There is also a desire to maximize milk production, in dairy herds in particular, in order to maximize economic returns to the farmer. Therefore the ability to assist in increasing milk production would also be a desirable aim.
The ability to provide an alternative method of improving the health and production of ruminant animals and/or compositions of use in such a method will have a clear economic benefit to the farming community.